Mia's Kitty
by Dracobolt
Summary: One day, Mia gets a kitten. It's cute, sure, but it's also an evil little beastie. Too bad Mia doesn't realize that. Blood will flow, fur will fly, and the other seven Adepts will match wits with their toughest enemy yet.
1. Snowflake's Arrival

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Golden Sun or Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Both those games are property of Nintendo and Camelot.

Special thanks go to Joker's Specter for helping me out with this. Everyone, go read his fics. Well, once you've read this, that is.

* * *

It was a pleasant summer day in Vale. The weather was warm, the sun was shining, and Isaac's mother had just made brownies and lemonade for Isaac's friends. Isaac and six of his friends were sitting on his roof eating the snack. 

"Hey, where's Mia?" asked Sheba, grabbing a brownie.

"She had to go check on Harry, the blacksmith," Isaac explained. He grabbed a brownie, too. "Harry broke his leg the other day, and the Great Healer asked Mia to keep an eye on him."

"Oh," said Garet, his mouth full. "Hey, these are pretty good." He grabbed another brownie and stuffed it into his mouth.

Everyone sat in silence, enjoying the day. Jenna glanced over at the platter of brownies. One left. Slowly, she moved her hand over towards it, hoping no one would see her. However, Felix happened to glance over, and he saw what she was up to.

"Oh, no you don't," Felix mouthed, his hand darting toward the last brownie. Jenna grabbed his wrist with both hands and bent her head to try and grab the brownie with her teeth.

"Catch!" Isaac snagged the brownie with his Psynergy, but Garet reached up and pulled the floating foodstuff away from Isaac's grasp. Jenna, Felix, and Isaac got to their feet and simultaneously tried to tackle Garet. Standing, he managed to hold it above their heads, but then someone jumped on his back and grabbed the brownie by standing on his shoulders.

"Got it!" Sheba cried. Piers snatched it away. "Hey!" Sheba cried as the Lemurian stuffed the treat in his mouth.

Piers licked his lips. "That was delicious." He saw the others staring at him. "Heh heh... It's just a brownie, after all."

Jenna growled at him, and the other Adepts closed in on Piers. Luckily, a voice from near the ground called out before Piers could be mobbed.

"Hey, everyone," Ivan called up to his friends on the roof. "I've got some more brownies. They're fresh out of the oven, too. Dora sent me out with them."

"Great!" Isaac said, releasing his grip on Piers's windpipe. "Bring 'em on up, Ivan."

Ivan scrambled up the ladder, and Jenna relieved him of the tray he carried, snatching up two brownies before setting it down. As everyone sat back down to enjoy the new food, Sheba caught a glimpse of their last friend walking towards the house. "Hey, Mia's coming," she said.

Sure enough, the blue-haired girl was walking up the path towards Isaac's house, her arms wrapped protectively around something. When she was near enough, she called up to her friends."Everyone, come here! I have something to show you!" Her friends descended from the roof and gathered around her. When they were all there, she held out her surprise: it was a kitten.

"Aw!" Sheba and Jenna chorused.

Mia smiled. "I named her Snowflake. Do you want to pet her?"

"Okay," Jenna said, reaching out. The cat bared its teeth. Jenna gulped and withdrew her hand. "Or maybe not."

Mia smiled at the cat. "Oh, who's a good girl? Snowflake's a good girl, yes she is." She kissed the kitten. "Isaac, can I keep her?"

Isaac, whose house Mia was staying at, shrugged. "I guess so. She doesn't have fleas or anything, does she?"

"No, I don't think so," Mia replied, shaking her head. "I got her from some lady down in the town square. She was selling kittens, and they were so cute, so I just had to buy one."

Isaac, Garet, Felix, and Jenna exchanged looks. They knew who that woman was.

"The cat lady?" asked Sheba. "Who's she?" The four Valeans jumped before realizing that Sheba had read one of their minds.

"Oh, um, the cat lady," Jenna said, glancing at Mia and her kitten. "Well, she's this, er, nice lady that comes by occasionally to sell cats she's raised."

"Yeah," said Isaac. He, Garet, and Felix knew what Jenna was leaving out. The cat lady was insane, and so were her cats. All of Vale's citizens pretended not to notice the lady when she was in Vale. Mia hadn't known, so that was how she'd fallen prey to the cat lady.

"Let's go inside and get Snowflake settled in, Isaac," Mia said, heading inside. Isaac gave his friends a desperate glance before following Mia inside.

"Poor Isaac," said Garet. "Dora's going to yell at him for sure."

"What's the problem with this cat lady, anyway?" asked Ivan.

Felix glanced toward the house, then leaned towards Ivan and whispered, "She's completely insane."

"So are her cats," added Garet. "If Dora has any sense, she'll make Mia get rid of the cat."

"I doubt it," sighed Jenna. "She likes Mia too much, and Mia is too naive to understand that the cat is hell spawn."

"Is it really that bad?" asked Piers. "It is just a kitten, after all. All it did was hiss at you, Jenna. I think you are over-reacting."

"Then why don't you go pet it, Piers," Jenna told him sarcastically. "If it's such a sweet creature, you should have no problem."

"I believe I will," Piers said. He strode into the house confidently while the remaining five Adepts waited outside.

"Do you think he'll actually be able to pet it?" Felix wondered.

"Don't be ridiculous," Jenna scoffed.

"Ten gold says he'll have multiple bite wounds," Garet said.

"No, I say just one," Felix said. "Piers is a smart man, after all. He'll know when to get out."

"I'll take that bet," Ivan told Garet. "Another five gold says he's also scratched up."

"You people are awful," Sheba said, sounding disgusted. "Taking bets on how badly your friend is going to be hurt. It's disgusting!"

Ivan grinned at her. "So, I take it you're in for all fifteen gold?"

Sheba grinned back, nodding. "You know it."

Just as she finished speaking, a blue blur ran out of the house, screaming, "Ply! PLY!"

"Hey, Piers, get back here!" Garet yelled. "We need to see how badly you're hurt before we can collect on our bets."

Piers skidded to a halt several feet away. He looked terrible. There were several bleeding scratches on his arms, teeth marks on each of his hand, and one particularly nasty wound that ran from his forehead to his cheek. He glared at Garet. "Glacier!" Garet yelped and dove out of the way. Mia dashed out of the house just then and ran to Piers.

"Piers, are you all right?" Mia asked him.

"Jenna was right; it's hell spawn!" Piers cried as he cast Ply on his wounds. "I am never going near that thing again!"

"Snowflake was just being friendly," Mia said. "Why don't I bring her out, and you two can pet and make up."

"No!" yelled Piers. "I'm going back to your house, Felix!" he called as he ran away.  
Back inside the house, Isaac was listening to the commotion outside with dread. Poor Piers. The man had come inside, confident in his ability to pet Snowflake. Isaac had tried to discreetly warn him off, but Piers either didn't understand or didn't care to listen. He'd bent over to pet the cat when Snowflake reached out with her talons and scored gashes in Piers's flesh. Isaac was a veteran of many battles, but this occurrence still shook him to the core. Piers had run out screaming, followed by Mia. Now Isaac was left alone with Snowflake. Isaac, standing next to the kitchen counter, reached into a drawer and pulled out a large steak knife. He felt better once he was armed.

Isaac stared at Snowflake. Snowflake stared at Isaac. Isaac stared at Snowflake. Snowflake stared at Isaac. Isaac's eyes began to itch from staring without blinking, but he dared not blink, knowing that the demon cat was just waiting for an opening. He would not end up like poor Piers. His eyes were itching something fierce by that point, though, so Isaac took a chance and slowly closed one eye, keeping the other trained on the cat. He reopened his eye and closed the other in a similar fashion. Snowflake stared at him, unblinking. It gave Isaac the willies.

"Isaac!" Isaac jumped at hearing his name. He turned and saw his mother entering from her bedroom. "Isaac, what are you doing with that knife?" Isaac looked sheepishly at the steak knife he held, then slid it back into the drawer. Then he noticed what his mother was carrying.

"Mom, what's the suitcase for?" Isaac asked, hoping that her answer would be, "for drowning Snowflake in".

"Your father and I are going on a little vacation to Vault," Dora said, dashing Isaac's hopes. "I'm going to pick him up from work now. We'll be back in a few weeks, or however long it takes you to get things sorted out."

"But Mom!" Isaac yelped. "You can't leave me here with that... that thing!" He pointed to Snowflake. "It'll murder us in our sleep!"

"Don't be silly, Isaac," Dora said nervously. "It probably won't. I mean, it definitely won't." She hugged him. "You be good. Don't let your friends destroy the house. We just rebuilt it." She kissed his cheek. "Good luck, sweetheart." She left the house, leaving Isaac alone with Snowflake. Isaac stared at Snowflake. The kitten glared at him. Isaac did a double-take. Snowflake bared her teeth at Isaac in a cruel parody of a grin. Isaac, not taking his eyes off Snowflake, reached into the drawer behind him for the steak knife. He swallowed hard. Getting rid of Snowflake was not going to be easy.

* * *

Well, then, mateys, here's chapter one of my first multi-chaptered fic. Please review. I welcome constructive criticism, but if you just want to praise me, that's fine, too. Well, I'll update this within the week, so until then, mateys! 


	2. Further Planning and the Second Casualty

**Disclaimer:** Nintendo and Camelot own Golden Sun.

* * *

"We need a plan," Isaac said. He and his friends, minus Mia, were gathered in Garet's bedroom. Garet had allowed everyone to gather there because both Piers and Isaac refused to be in the same building as Snowflake. Piers still bore signs of his encounter with the kitten, and Isaac was a nervous wreck from spending the past day in same house as Snowflake. He'd spent as much time as possible with Mia, not so much because he enjoyed her company, which he did, but more because Snowflake wouldn't dare attack him if Mia was watching. Strangely enough, the cat lady's cats were absolutely loyal and obedient to their owners, but only their owners. What had scared Isaac the most was nighttime. He could hardly sleep in the same room as Mia, especially with his parents away, so he'd locked the door of his bedroom and set his Djinni to keep watch over him. Nevertheless, his night had not been easy. Isaac had awoken several times because of bad dreams. 

In one he'd been a mouse with golden fur, trying to escape Snowflake by dodging into a mouse hole. Snowflake had stuck her paw in the mouse hole after him, and the paw seemed to stretch after him no matter how far he ran, always gaining on him. When Isaac had awoken, Snowflake's claw had been a hair's breadth from his neck. In another dream, Snowflake had multiplied so that every time Isaac turned around, there were more and more kittens.

As soon as it was reasonable for Garet's family to be up, Isaac had climbed out his window and jogged over to his friend's house. Garet was understanding and had allowed Isaac to sleep there for a few hours. Meanwhile, Garet rounded up the rest of their friends and stopped by Isaac's house to tell Mia where Isaac was. So, that was how the group of seven came to be gathered in Garet's bedroom.

"That kitten needs gotten rid of," Jenna agreed. "But how? Mia loves it, and she'd be furious if we tried anything."

"Well," Felix said, "we just have to do it without her knowing it. Maybe we can off Snowflake, then find a replacement kitten."

"Why can't we just explain the situation to her and ask her to get rid of the cat?" Ivan asked reasonably.

"Because she won't believe us, stupid," Jenna told him, sounding superior. "Would you believe us if we told you that..." She cast around for an example. "That, say, Sheba was evil, and that we'd have to chuck her out of Vale?"

"Huh?" said Ivan, confused. "Sheba's our friend. Of course I wouldn't believe you. That's different!"

"Is it, Ivan?" Jenna asked, leering at him. "Is it really?" She looked at him, a crazed glint in her eye. "That cat's cute, Ivan. Cute things have power. They can seduce people more thoroughly than any lover ever could. Mia's in its grasp now, and she's powerless to escape. Only we can save her. We must believe in ourselves!" She looked around. Everyone else was staring at her. Jenna cleared her throat. "Sorry. I got caught up in the moment. But you have to admit that my points are valid." The others nodded in the sort of fashion that meant that they were humoring her in hopes that she wouldn't suddenly lash out in a bout of insanity and burn them all.  
"Well," said Isaac, "I believe the first step is to do a bit of investigating. We need to learn all that we can about the target. Jenna, Sheba, that's where you two come in. I need you to go to my house and talk to Mia. Learn all you can about Snowflake, but don't make Mia suspicious."

"Hey, that's not fair," said Sheba. "Why can't you do it?"

"I'm going to have to spend the night there," Isaac said, a haunted look in his eyes. "I need to stay here and regain my strength. If you want, perhaps Felix and Ivan could share the workload."

"Okay," Sheba agreed reluctantly. She stood. "Come on, guys, let's get this over with." She, Jenna, Felix, and Ivan left Garet's room, wanting to get their task over with. Isaac sighed and lay down on Garet's bed. Within minutes he was fast asleep. Garet and Piers looked at each other.

"So, what is there to do around here?" asked Piers.

Garet gestured to his bookshelf. "There's comic books. I recommend Ninja Adventure Squad, myself." Piers looked dubiously at the bookshelf, shrugged, selected a comic, and began reading. It would take some time for the others to gather information. Until then, it would be best to take advantage of this free time.

Sheba, Ivan, Felix, Jenna, and Mia were gathered in Isaac's kitchen, sipping cups of Imilian herb tea that Mia had made for them. Snowflake lapped cream out of a saucer near Mia's feet.

"So, Mia," Jenna began, "you're really attached to Snowflake, aren't you?"

Mia nodded. "Oh, yes. I've always loved kittens, but I was never allowed to have one when I was younger. It wasn't sanitary, my parents said." She beamed at Snowflake. "But Snowflake stays clean, don't you, girl. Who's a good girl? You are! Yes, you are."

Ivan and Sheba traded glances. Mia using baby talk on a kitten was a most unusual sight. Felix tried another tack. "Piers tells me that Snowflake attacked him the other day. I wonder why that was."

Mia reached down to pet the kitten. "I have no idea. Maybe Piers petted her too roughly, and it scared her."

Snowflake purred happily, then got up, arching her back in a stretch. She ambled around the table until she came to Ivan, then jumped on his lap.

"Oh, look!" Mia exclaimed. "She likes you, Ivan."

Ivan was too busy being afraid to hear her. Snowflake's claws were kneading into his thighs as she settled down, and those claws were currently too close to a certain part of Ivan's anatomy for his comfort.

"Stay calm, Ivan," Felix mouthed. Ivan nodded slightly. After all, it was just a cat. Cats were friendly enough. Piers probably just wasn't good with cats. That was no reason for Ivan to worry. Thinking these thoughts helped Ivan calm down, and he relaxed. It was then that Snowflake struck. Ivan let out a howl and shot to his feet, dumping Snowflake on the floor. He was little more than a blur of motion as he sped out the door. Or rather, into the door, as it was closed. Even that didn't slow Ivan down much. In less than a minute, he was gone.

There was stunned silence in Isaac's house. Jenna, Felix, and Sheba stared at Mia. This was the second act of violence that her kitten had perpetrated, and a most heinous one at that. Surely she would reprimand the kitten.

Mia picked Snowflake up. "Shnowfwake's not hurt, is she? Is she?" Mia cradled the kitten in her arms. Jenna and Sheba stared at each other in surprise. Their best friend was just mauled, and Mia was worried about her cat. Felix came up behind their chairs and touched their shoulders, indicating that they should leave. Mia probably wouldn't even notice.

Back at Garet's house, they found Ivan alive and well. His injuries, he told them, were not serious. Snowflake had missed her intended target, thank Jupiter. Isaac was still sleeping, and Piers was intent on finishing all the Ninja Adventure Squad comics that Garet owned. Garet, meanwhile, was helping his sister prepare dinner for their family and friends. He came up shortly after Jenna, Felix, and Sheba arrived, though. After Isaac was woken up and Piers separated from the comic books he'd grown so fond of, the reconnaissance group shared their finding with the others.

"It is with great sadness that I report that Mia has gone insane," Jenna said.

"That cat has taken over her mind," added Sheba. "With, like, mind powers, or something." She looked thoroughly shaken by what had happened.

"We can't put this off any longer," Felix said. "Snowflake has become a source of danger to all of us. We have to get rid of her."

"Does anyone have any ideas?" Garet asked.

"I say we tie it in a sack and throw it in the river!" Piers said, making an uncharacteristically violent suggestion.

"Fire. Let's have ourselves a barbecue!" suggested Jenna.

"Those are all good suggestions," Isaac said, "but we'll have to act carefully so that Mia doesn't suspect us. I'm sure she'll come back to normal once we've disposed of it, but until then she's gonna be pretty defensive of that rodent." He sighed. "I suppose it would be best if we wait until tomorrow. There's been enough excitement for today. Garet, I think I'll try to get a bit more sleep before I leave, 'cause I sure won't be getting any tonight, not with Snowflake around."  
"That's fine," Garet said. "Say, I'll bet dinner's ready. You guys are all invited."

"Awesome!" exclaimed Ivan. "You guys always have the best food!" He took off for the dining room.

"I'll go by my house and get Mia," Isaac said. "It wouldn't be right to not invite her."

"Just be sure to tell her that there's a no pet rule at my house," Garet said nervously.

"I'm not stupid," Isaac said with a grin. "I'll be back in a couple minutes. Save us some food."

"Will do," Garet said. And so the Adepts looked forward to a night of camaraderie, comedy, good cooking, and most importantly, no cats. All too soon, they would have to deal once again with Snowflake. Until then, however, they could simply enjoy one another's company in a way they hadn't since the cat's arrival, a time that seemed so long ago.

* * *

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter. Nothing makes me happier than finding a new review in my inbox. Well, except finding a new box of fudgesicles in the freezer... But I digress. Anyways, please review, and I'll see y'all next time! 


	3. Battle Plans

**Disclaimer: **Golden Sun belongs to Nintendo and Camelot.

I'd like to thank everyone that reviewed last chapter. You make me happy. Also,_ yellowfairy07001_ asked a question: why didn't Ivan MindRead Snowflake? Well, that's a good question. I'd have to say it's because that would mean actually touching the cat. The only time Ivan came in contact with Snowflake, he was a little too preoccupied, if you catch my drift. Well, on to the chapter!

* * *

The next day arrived much too quickly. Isaac woke up just as the sun was rising in the sky. He dressed quickly and slipped downstairs, hoping to leave the house without Snowflake spotting him. He and the others had planned a meeting for that afternoon, but he didn't want to spend any more time than he had to around Snowflake. 

"Isaac? Why are you up so early?" Isaac was startled to see Mia sitting at his kitchen table, still in her nightgown, sipping a cup of tea.

"Uh, um... I could ask you the same question!" Isaac said. He crossed over to Mia and put his hand on her shoulder. "Frankly, Mia, it's just not healthy. I suggest you finish your tea and go back to sleep."

"Isaac, are you mad at me?" Mia asked, looking upset. "It seems like you and the others are avoiding me."

Isaac flinched. Any moment now, she'd hit him with the puppy dog eyes, and he would spill the beans about Snowflake and their plans. He quickly decided to assuage her fears before that happened.

"Us? Avoiding you? Why, don't be silly," Isaac said quickly. "Didn't Jenna and the others come over for tea yesterday? And we were all at Garet's house for dinner last night."

"I- I guess that's true," Mia said, sounding relieved.

"Er, hey," Isaac said, a thought having just occurred to him, "Where's Snowflake?"

"Oh, she wanted out," said Mia. "She woke me up and led me to the door, so I let her go outside."

"I see," said Isaac. He hoped he wouldn't run into Snowflake on his way to Garet's house. Just then, though, twin shrieks rent the early morning air.

"That sounded like it came from Garet's house!" exclaimed Isaac. He ran out of his house with Mia following, still in her nightgown.

-!-!-!-

Garet's backyard was host to a tragic sight. Kay was crouched by her flowerbeds, tears running down her face. The reason was obvious: the flowers she'd tended so carefully for years were all either eaten or trampled. Aaron, too, was crying. He was holding an empty birdcage in his arms. Garet was talking to his little brother, trying to console him, when Isaac and Mia arrived at the scene.

"Mia!" Kay called. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and stalked toward the other girl. "That mangy cat of yours did this!"

Mia looked shocked. "What? Snowflake?"  
"Yeah, Snowflake," Kay said. "And it ate Aaron's birds, too!"

"Snowflake wouldn't-" Mia started, but Kay cut her off.

"I saw it happen! I got up early to garden, and I saw Snowflake knock the cage open and chase the birds around the yard, including through my garden, before it ate them. I ran outside, but the cat ran away. Good thing for it, too," said Kay, "because otherwise I would have brained it with my watering can!"

Mia was cowed by Kay's tirade. Then she sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Kay. I know you put a lot of work into your garden. And, Aaron, I'm sorry about your birds. I'm sure they're in a better place now." Isaac wasn't sure if he would consider Snowflake's stomach a "better place", but he was happy that Mia seemed to be coming around to the fact that Snowflake was in fact demon spawn. Garet caught his glance and smiled, apparently thinking along the same lines as Isaac.

"Meow!" Snowflake marched up to Mia and deposited a dead mouse at her feet. Snowflake rubbed against her owner's legs and purred.

"Aw, did you bring that for me?" Mia said to Snowflake, picking up the kitten and cradling it in her arms. Isaac noted that Kay was growing angry again. It wasn't hard to see because her face was red and she was clenching her fists at her sides. Isaac sighed to himself. That darned cat had spoiled everything.

Isaac sidled over to Garet. "I think you might want to take Kay inside before she gets too much angrier," Isaac told Garet in a whisper. "Tell her she can come to our meeting this afternoon." Garet nodded and guided his sister inside, Aaron following.

"Mia, I think you should take Snowflake back to my house before she causes any more trouble," Isaac said. "I'll stay here and try to patch things up with Kay and Aaron." Mia nodded and walked back to Isaac's house with Snowflake cradled in her arms. Isaac stared after her, shook his head, then went inside Garet's house.

-!-!-!-

"I call this meeting of the Anti-Snowflake Society to order!" Jenna said when they were all assembled in Garet's bedroom.

"Since when were we the 'Anti-Snowflake Society'?" Felix asked.

"Since right now," said Jenna, with a shrug. "But that's not the point. The point is that Snowflake must be stopped."

"Maybe we can convince Mia to get rid of her," Isaac said half-heartedly.

Sheba snorted. "And you actually think that will work? You can try it, but you'll fail."  
"Way to be positive, Sheba," Isaac grumbled, but he knew she was right.

"I have an idea," Kay said. She stared intently at a corner of the ceiling, concentrating. "What if there was some way we could make Snowflake docile enough to dispose of? Some sort of trap. With- with a drugged, um, piece of fish!"

"Hey, yeah!" said Garet, picking up his sister's train of thought. "We drug the little rodent, and when it's asleep, we sling it in the river."

"Good idea," said Isaac, "but what will we tell Mia? Unless we admit to drowning the cat, there's no way we could know what had happened to it."

"We set a dog on it," Piers said. "Yes, a vicious animal that would make short work of the defenseless cat."

"No, that would be mean!" Aaron spoke for the first time. "You can't do that to the kitty. It wouldn't be right."

"Aaron, Snowflake ate your birds," Ivan reminded the boy.

"Yeah, and that was mean, too. But I don't want the kitty to go through the same thing," Aaron said.

"I guess he's right," Isaac said. "We need to get rid of Snowflake, but there is no reason to be excessively brutal. I like your idea about drugging it, Kay, but let's see if we can come up with anything better first."

The Adepts, along with Kay and Aaron, thought in silence for several minutes.

"I'm stumped," admitted Isaac eventually. "Did anyone else think of anything?"

"Nope," Sheba said.

"I wish there was someone we could ask for advice," Jenna said.

"Yes," said Piers. "But who do we know who is as evil and cunning as Snowflake?"

"Alex!" exclaimed Ivan.

"Yeah," said Sheba. "Too bad he's dead, though."

"Haven't you ever read any comic books?" Jenna asked her. "Evil guys never die. They just disappear so that they can make a comeback and get revenge on their enemies." The window shattered as Alex dove through it. "Case in point right there," Jenna said.  
"Ah hah! I have you now, Isaac!" Alex said. "You shan't escape me now!"

"Alex, good to see you," Isaac said. "You're just the man we wanted to talk to."

"I am?" Alex asked, looking a little confused. "Look, I'm a bit busy now. I have to kill you, claim the last part of the Golden Sun, and take over Weyard. Can it wait?"

"I don't think so." Isaac shook his head sadly. "We've been having a little trouble with evil, and we thought you could help us. Birds of a feather, you know."

"I resent that," Alex said. "I'm not evil; I'm more ... amoral, I suppose."

"Yeah, whatever. We need your help."

Ivan took over the explanation. "You see, two days ago, Mia bought a kitten from this crazy cat lady. The kitten, hereinafter called Snowflake, is an insane, demonic creature who wants to kill us all. We're at a loss about what to do."

"What's in it for me?" Alex asked, examining his nails in a disinterested fashion.

"Uh... Group huddle!" Isaac called, and everyone except Alex stepped out of Garet's bedroom. "What can we give him, guys?"

"Well, you could let him kill you for the Golden Sun," Sheba suggested. The others glared at her. "What? It's a viable solution." She rolled her eyes. "I was just joking, anyway."

"Is he still fixated on Mia?" Jenna wondered. "Maybe we could, I dunno, offer him dirty pictures of her."

"How exactly would we get dirty pictures of Mia?" Ivan asked.

"Are you volunteering?" Jenna asked him, teasingly.

"No dirty pictures," Isaac said. "But you're right, Jenna, we could use his Mia obsession to our advantage. But what of hers to give him?"

The revelation hit them all like an epiphany from heaven. "We give him Snowflake," Piers breathed.

"Yes, it's perfect," said Felix excitedly. Then his expression cooled. "We already told Alex that Snowflake's evil, though. How will we get him to take her?"

"We'll think of something," Garet said. "We could, um, oh, I know! We drug Snowflake like we

planned before, with Alex's help. Then we put her in a sack to throw her in the river. But, while Alex isn't looking, we switch the sack for one with a rock in it. We chuck the rock, then tell Alex we'll give him his payment when we get back here to my house. Then we give him the sack with the unconscious Snowflake."

"He'll still realize we gave him Snowflake, though," Kay said impatiently. "Even if he doesn't check what it is before he leaves, he'll come back if he sees that we gave him Snowflake."

Isaac glanced into Garet's bedroom. Alex was still there, flipping through an issue of Ninja Adventure Squad. "Well, let's think about this," Isaac said. "There has to be a way."

"I have an idea," Aaron said. They all looked at him. "What?" he said, sounding slightly irritated. "I'm just little; I'm not stupid." He held up a sheet of paper that was covered in diagrams and writing. "It's all here."

"Let me see that," Ivan said. He took the paper from Aaron and read it. "The kid's a genius," Ivan said finally. "It should work perfectly." He turned to Isaac. "Tell Alex that we want him to go talk to Mia about Snowflake, and that we're still working on a suitable reward. Also, tell him that we'll arrange a meeting for him and Mia in a private place so that no one will try to arrest him or something." Ivan turned to Aaron. "Is that right?" Aaron nodded. "Okay, Isaac, go tell him."

Isaac went and relayed the message to Alex. Out in the hall, Ivan, with Aaron's help, dispatched the rest of the Adepts to their various tasks. "Jenna, Garet, Sheba, I want you guys to go and get a hold of Snowflake. Stop by the Sanctum and ask them for something to drug Snowflake with. Piers, you go with Kay and Felix. Aaron and I will help get you ready."

Isaac re-entered the hall. "Isaac," Ivan said, "You keep an eye on Alex. As far as he knows, we're securing a meeting place and getting Mia to come. You keep Alex in Garet's room until we send for you. Now, does everyone know what they're doing?" The others nodded. "Good. Let's go. Good luck, everyone!"

**Team Meteorite**

"... So, you see, Great Healer, I wanted to learn more about the healing arts," Jenna said. "I can use some healing spells, and I want to hone my skills so that I can help my friends out. What do you say?" Looking over the Great Healer's shoulder, she saw Sheba climb into the Sanctum through the window.

"Well, Jenna, that sounds just fine. Let me talk to the other healers; maybe one of them could train you." The Great Healer started to turn around. Jenna grabbed his arm.

"No! I, uh, I mean, I would really like it if you trained me. I couldn't go wrong there, could I?" She cast Sheba a desperate look. The Jupiter Adept got the hint and began scanning the shelves of healing items, looking for some sort of opiate with which to drug Snowflake.  
"Very well, Jenna," said the Great Healer. "Before we delve into the intricacies of healing Psynergy, we must meditate on the true purpose of a healer. There are several principles involved..." Jenna tuned out the Great Healer and watched Sheba instead. The other girl had looked over two shelves and was on a third. Jenna bit her lip nervously. Every second, their chance of getting caught increased. At least Garet was loitering outside to distract anyone who might try and enter the Sanctum. Finally, though, Sheba selected a bottle and put it in the sack she'd brought. She dropped the sack out the Sanctum's window, then jumped out herself. Jenna allowed herself an inward sigh of relief. She began listening to the Great Healer again just as he finished up his little speech. "And those are the principles one must know and follow if one truly wishes to learn the healing arts."

"Well, you know what, I'll have to think about it," Jenna said. "But right now, I've gotta go. Bye!" She hurried out of the Sanctum, leaving the Great Healer confused.

**Team Sun**

"So... how're things?"

"Aside from being trapped under a frickin' mountain until quite recently, quite well. How about

you?"

"Oh, I'm doing okay, except for this whole Snowflake thing."

"Well, life's like that. Ya gotta take things in stride."

"True."

"You mind passing me issue eighteen?"

"Here. You a comic book fan?"

"Not particularly, but this one looks interesting."

"It is. I have every issue."

"Must be an impressive collection."

"Oh, yeah, definitely."

"..."  
"... I'll just let you get back to reading."

"'Kay."

**Team Flower Power**

"Kay, why'd you have to go and pick a dumb name like 'Flower Power'?" Aaron whined.

"Shut up, Aaron," Kay said through gritted teeth. "This is hard enough without you complaining. Piers, come here. Suck it up and take it like a man."

"Surely you see the irony in that statement," Piers remarked dryly. "You ask me to 'take it like a man' while you make me dress in drag!"

"Piers, it's the only way to get rid of Snowflake," Ivan said. "Someone has to do this, and you look the most like Mia."

"It's not the only way," Piers argued. "I suggested killing the little beast right off. And I look like Mia? Just because we have the same hair color doesn't mean we're twins."

"Don't worry, Piers, we'll give you chest padding," said Felix. He held up two small decorative pillows. "These should work." Piers looked ready to cry.

"Okay, Piers, I've found something that should fit you. Try this on." Piers hesitantly accepted the dress from Kay. Felix gave Piers the pillows, earning him a glare. Piers stepped into the closet to put on the dress. After about five minutes, he finally stepped back out.

"Don't you dare laugh," Piers warned them. There were many stifled giggles, but no one actually laughed. "Will this work?" Piers asked them.

The others looked him over. Piers wore his hair up in a high ponytail like Mia did, and the dress seemed to fit him, even with the pillows stuffed down the front. Except for his masculine face, he was able to pull off looking like a woman.

"Except for your face, everything looks fine," said Kay, "I'll just need my makeup." Piers looked pained, but he allowed Kay to attack him with eyelash curlers, mascara, and other bits of makeup. Finally, she finished.

"Well," said Ivan, looking Piers over, "You're not a dead ringer, but you'll do. Hopefully Alex will think Mia has changed since he last saw her."

"Okay, guys," Aaron said. "I'm going to go and see where team Meteorite and team Sun are at. I'll be back soon. Then we can move on to the next phase of the plan." He sped out of the room. The others were left to wait until he returned.

**Team Meteorite**

Garet, Jenna, and Sheba sat in a tree overlooking Isaac's house. In the grass near the foot of the tree sat a piece of fish that contained some sleeping draught. The three Adepts were waiting for Snowflake to eat it. Unfortunately for them, they'd been waiting for a half an hour, and sitting in a tree for that long was not a very comfortable way for them to pass the time.

"My butt hurts!" Garet groaned. "When will that dang cat get here?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you," Sheba snapped.

"Hey!" Jenna hissed. "Here she comes!"

"Who, Mia?"

"No, stupid, Snowflake."

They sat and watched as the kitten prowled around the yard. Snowflake stopped and sniffed the air. She trotted over to the drugged fish and sniffed it suspiciously. The three Adepts held their breath. Snowflake poked at the fish with her claw. Garet began turning blue from lack of oxygen. Finally, Snowflake gulped down the tidbit. Garet let out a wheezy breath.

"Idiot," Sheba muttered. "You could have breathed."

Garet glared at her, but Jenna smacked both of them. "Guys, keep an eye on Snowflake. Look! The drug is already taking effect." It was true. Snowflake was wandering around the yard in a slow, drunken fashion. She collapsed suddenly. "Now's our chance!" Jenna urged. "Come on!" They jumped down from the tree. Sheba scooped up the unconscious kitten and threw it in a sack. "Let's go. Team," she snickered, "Flower Power will be waiting for us."

When they got to Garet's house, Aaron met them at the door."Wait here," he said. "Piers is ready; I'll go get my team." Aaron bounded up the stairs and returned a minute later with Piers, Felix, Ivan, and Kay.

"Bwahahaha!" Garet burst out in hysterical laughter upon seeing Piers. Piers clenched his teeth and hit Garet with a Glacier attack.

"Hey!" said Kay. "No Psynergy in the house." Piers pretended not to hear her.

"Ow..."

"Okay, everyone," Ivan said. "Let's go find a meeting place for Alex and Mia."

"There's a grove of trees on the other side of the river," Jenna said. "Let's go there."  
"Sounds good," Ivan said. "Aaron, give us about ten minutes, then tell Isaac and Alex, excuse me, Team Sun, to meet us there. Got it?"

"Yeah," said Aaron. "Good luck!" He saluted Ivan, who saluted him back with a straight face, then went upstairs.

"All right, everyone," Ivan said. "Let's go!"

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review. Until next time, everyone! 


	4. The End?

Ah, the last chapter. It makes me happy to have completed this project, and all the nice reviews I got from you guys only made me happier. Thanks, everyone!

**GoldenSunGeek** - I decided to use team names to add to the drama. The actual names came to me from random inspiration. Team Meteor had all the Mars Adepts, plus one Wind Adept. So I thought that a fiery rock that falls from the sky would work. Team Flower Power was supposed to be goofy, and I also couldn't think of anything better. Team Sun came from the name of the Alex/Isaac pairing.

* * *

"..." 

"You know, the longer we sit here, the more I wonder why I haven't killed you just to be done with it."

"Because deep down, you're really a nice guy?"

"Eh, no, not really."

"You don't want Mia to hate you forever and ever?"

"Well, that too..."

"Oh, I know! You're busy reading comic books and can't be bothered!"

"Yeah, that's it."

"Well, okay, as long as we know where you stand."

"Yeah. Pass me issue twenty-three, will you?"

"Hey, guys," Aaron said, walking into Garet's room. "They told me to tell you that Mia's ready to meet with you, Alex."

"Great!" said Alex, leaping to his feet. "Where?"

"Uh, Isaac and I can take you there. Come on," said Aaron, leaving the room. Isaac and Alex followed him.

As they walked through Vale to the meeting place, Alex asked, "So what exactly am I supposed to do?"

"Uh, you, uh, just have to talk to Mia. You know, maybe tell her about how Snowflake's evil. Let her know that, as a leading authority on the subject, you know what you're talking about. Just try and convince her," Isaac said.

They arrived at the grove of trees. Seated on a fallen log in the middle was Piers, who was dressed like Mia. At his side sat the sack which held the unconscious Snowflake. Hidden in the surrounding vegetation were Ivan, Garet, Jenna, Sheba, Felix, and Kay.

"Mia, darling, how nice to see you!" Alex cried. He started towards "Mia", then turned to Isaac and Aaron. "Do you mind? I'd like to have a nice, private conversation, please." Isaac backed off, and Aaron followed. Their next job was to keep an eye on the real Mia to make sure she didn't interfere.

"Oh, hello, Alex," said Piers in a high falsetto voice. "Eh, long time, no see, hm?"

"Yes, it's been far too long," Alex said, sitting down on the log next to Piers. "So, what's new?"

"Oh, well, I have the most adorable kitten," said Piers. "Her name's Snowflake."

"Snowflake, huh? Well, Mia, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but your kitten's evil. I, uh, could feel the, um, pure evil emanating from it."

"Oh, yes, Alex, you're absolutely right," said Piers. "Thank you for opening my eyes to this."

"Really?" asked Alex, a little skeptically. "You think I'm right about this, no questions asked?"

"Eh, um," said Piers, "I, uh, would believe anything you told me, Alex, dear."

"Oh, that's good," said Alex.

"Now, um, I must thank you for helping me out."

"Oh, I know the perfect way for you to do that," Alex said with a lecherous grin.

"Yes," said Piers quickly, "I'll give you my most treasured possession." He thrust the sack containing Snowflake into Alex's hands.

Alex opened the sack. "It's a cat. Is that Snowflake?"

"Yes."

"But isn't Snowflake, well, evil?"

"Don't you like it, Lexy-poo?" Piers asked with a pout.  
"It- it's not that," began Alex.

Piers lowered his eyes. "You don't like my gift."

"No! Mia, I love your gift," Alex said. He patted Piers on the back. "I'll, uh, treasure it forever."

"Thank you, Alex," Piers said. "Now you must go. The Valeans are still angry at you for destroying their town."

"But, Mia, will I ever see you again?"

"Yes, no doubt. For what force can keep apart the love that binds us?"

"Oh, Mia," Alex said, nearly swooning, "you've become so articulate since I saw you last. Your words sent a flood of passion through me. I shall leave, knowing that our true love will one day reunite us!" Rings of Psynergy surrounded Alex, and he vanished, taking Snowflake with him.

"Piers, you were awesome," Jenna said, bursting from her hiding place.

"Seriously, man," Garet said, trying not to laugh, "I almost bought that, and I knew you were just pretending."

Piers smiled at the compliments, but all he said was, "Kay, where's the makeup remover?"

-!-!-!-

"Hello, Isaac," Mia said to him as he entered the house. "Have you seen Snowflake?"

"No, not recently," Isaac said. Technically, that was the truth. He hadn't lain eyes on Snowflake since that morning, even though he knew where the cat was.

"I'm hungry, Isaac. Do you have any snacks?" Isaac looked down to see Aaron staring impatiently at him.

"Yeah, sure, there's some cookies in the jar on the counter. Help yourself." Aaron made a beeline for the cookie jar.

"I'm just worried about her," Mia continued. "I let her out about an hour ago, and I haven't seen her since."

"Maybe she's just exploring," Isaac suggested.

"I made her promise not to leave your yard, though."

Isaac wondered how one would make a cat promise anything. "Mia, relax. Snowflake is a very intelligent cat. She won't get hurt."

Mia bit her lip. "I hope so. I'm worried for her." She stared sadly at the floor.

Isaac wondered if they were doing the right thing by getting rid of Snowflake. Mia was really attached to her kitten, and once she found out that Snowflake was gone for good, she'd probably be heartbroken.

"Knock knock! We're comin' in!" Sheba called, opening the door to Isaac's house.

"Hello, everyone," Mia said. "Have any of you seen Snowflake?"

The others stared at their feet, examined their nails, tugged at their collars, and generally just looked guilty as all get out.

"Well, Mia," said Isaac finally, "the truth is-"

"That Alex kidnapped Snowflake!" Sheba butted in, shooting Isaac a dirty look.

"Yeah!" Jenna said. "We were coming over here, and we saw it happen."

"How could he?" Mia asked, horrified. "I wouldn't think that Alex would do something like that."

"It probably stems from his obsession over you," Felix said. "If he can't have you, he'll take your kitten."

Mia sniffed and blinked back tears. "Well, I suppose that's that. Poor Snowflake." She brightened. "I wonder if that cat lady is still in town."

"No," Garet said quickly. "She probably won't be back for a while."

"Look, Mia," Kay said, taking her by the arm and sitting her at the kitchen table, "Why don't I make you some tea, and you can sit here and cry about Snowflake, and when you're done, you'll feel much better."

"Yes, I suppose so," Mia said quietly.

"Good. Hey, Aaron, put those cookies down. You've had enough."

And so Mia drank her tea and cried over the loss of her cat with her friends, who were only acting sympathetic for her benefit, as they were secretly rejoicing on the inside. A week later, Dora and Kyle would return from Vault, and everything would go back to normal.

-!-!-!-

Miles away, in Vault's inn, Alex stared at Snowflake. Snowflake stared at Alex. Alex stared at Snowflake. Snowflake stared at Alex, then swept at him with her claws. Alex dodged her attack, then used his Psynergy to drench the kitten. Snowflake seemed surprised for a minute, but then she walked over to Alex and rubbed her head against his leg. Alex was surprised by this. He cautiously petted the kitten. Snowflake licked his fingers. Alex laughed and scooped the kitten into his arms. He scratched her head, and Snowflake purred appreciatively. Alex smiled. "I think we're going to get along just fine, Snowflake."

* * *

Thanks for reading, mateys! Please review and tell me what you thought. Huh, now that this is done, that means I can work on all my new projects. Until next time, everyone! 


	5. Six Months Later

**Author's Notes:** Some of you might recognize the content of this chapter and the next from a whole different story. I had them published as one separate story at one point, but after some thought, I decided that it would be best to simply make them an addition to the previous story.

**Thanks and Dedications:** I would like to thank Teschio for suggesting the premise for this addition, and for SirKibble, GSAlex, and some others on GameFAQs for reading over this for me.I'd also like to dedicate this to Joker's Specter for his birthday.

**Disclaimer:** Golden Sun belongs to Nintendo and Camelot. I do not claim ownership of their property.

* * *

The last thing Isaac expected at two in the morning was for Alex to Warp into his bedroom and jump onto his bed.

"Ah hah! I have you right where I want you, Isaac!" Alex crowed, leaning over the blond boy.

"No! I don't swing that way!" Isaac yelled, pulling the covers over his head.

"What? Oh, no!" Alex said, jumping back off the bed. "Oh, Sol, no. Not _that_." Alex regained his composure and grinned evilly. "No, I have you right where I want you to get the rest of the power of the Golden Sun."

"You'll have to fight me first!" Isaac threw off the covers, leapt from his bed and grabbed his sword from where it leaned at the head of his bed.

"You're going to fight me while wearing _that_?" Alex said disdainfully, gesturing at Isaac's pajamas.

"What's wrong with my P.J.s?" Isaac asked, looking down at his night wear.

"Hah!" Alex cried, darting forward and holding a shard of ice to Isaac's chest. "Now, give me the power of the Golden Sun or I will kill you!"

"Uh..." Isaac had to think fast. He looked over Alex's shoulder. "Hey, Mia, help me!"

"Mia?" Alex cried. "Where?"

"Take this!" Isaac punched Alex in the stomach. The blunet doubled over, gasping. Isaac brought his sword up and was about to slay the dastard when something leapt onto his face. "Agh!" He screamed, dropping his sword. "Oh, Sol, my face! Yargh!" He tried to pull the fur-covered object off his head.

"Snowflake, down," Alex said. Though Isaac couldn't see his nemesis, it was apparent from merely his tone of voice that he was smirking. Isaac wanted nothing more than to punch Alex. Again. Snowflake disengaged her claws from Isaac's face and jumped down, walking over to Alex and rubbing against his legs.

"S- Snowflake!" Isaac exclaimed, looking at the kitten. His knees went weak, and Isaac had to sit down quickly on his bed.

"Scared, Isaac?" Alex said with a laugh. "You should be."

"I- I'm not afraid of you, Alex!" Isaac said, forcing himself to stand.

"Maybe not, but you're terrified of Snowflake," Alex said. The cat prowled up to Isaac, who yelped in terror and jumped up on his bed. "Oh yes, Isaac," Alex continued. "Snowflake told me all about your fear. So if you don't want her to attack you, I think you'd better do as I say."

"I won't give in," Isaac said with as much bravado as he could muster. The effect was somewhat spoiled, however, by the way he was cowering on his bed while wearing his pajamas.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Alex sighed. He tossed his hair. "Ice Prison!" He glowed with Psynergy, and tendrils of ice surrounded Isaac before he could move. "C'mon, Snowflake, let's Warp," Alex said, and he Warped himself, the cat, and their prisoner far away.

The next morning, Garet walked over to Isaac's house, a stack of comics in his arms. He and Isaac had planned a Ninja Adventure Squad marathon for that afternoon, and Garet couldn't wait. Dora had promised to make some of her brownies, too, and Garet was practically drooling at the thought.

Reaching Isaac's house, Garet shifted the stack of comic books to one arm and braced them against his chest, then used his free arm to knock on the door.

"Good morning, Garet," Dora said, answering the door moments later. "Come in to the kitchen. Isaac's not up yet. Would you like something to eat in the mean time?"

"That sounds good," Garet said. "You, uh, wouldn't need anyone to test brownies, would you?"

"I believe I have a batch ready just now," she said. "Let me get you one."

As Dora was doing so, Mia came downstairs. "Good morning, Dora. Good morning, Garet." She looked around. "Where's Isaac?"

"I think he's still asleep," Dora answered, taking a pan of brownies out of the oven.

"No, his door was open when I passed by, and his bed was empty," Mia said.

"That's weird," Garet said. He stood behind Dora as she cut the brownies in the pan, practically breathing down her neck. As soon as she put a brownie on a plate for him, Garet shoved the whole piece in his mouth. He gave Mia a chocolate-y grin and continued speaking through a mouthful of brownie. "Isaac knew we were going to be reading comics today. I don't know why he wouldn't be here."

"You don't think anything happened to him, do you?" Mia asked.

Garet shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe we should check his room, see if he left a note or something."

"I'll stay here and wait for him to come back," Dora said, sitting at the kitchen table at such an angle that she could look out the window for her wayward son.

Garet and Mia went upstairs to Isaac's room. "Let's see," Garet said. He walked over to Isaac's desk. "There's no note, and he's definitely not here. The bedcovers are a mess, and," he crossed to Isaac's laundry hamper, "no, I don't see any pajamas, which means he's still wearing them."

"Look," Mia said, "There's some puddles on the floor."

"The plot thickens," Garet muttered as he bent down to examine the floor.

Mia gave him an odd look, but something else caught her eye."Garet, look. Cat hairs..." Mia stared intently at the bits of fur that lay on the floor near Isaac's bed. "It can't be," she whispered. "Snowflake?"

It took Garet less than a half hour to gather the rest of his friends to meet at Isaac's house. Although Mia didn't know it, Garet, Isaac, and the rest of their friends had, six months ago, conspired to dispose of Mia's demonic pet cat, Snowflake. In the end, they had foisted the kitten off on their nemesis Alex, and they had not heard from him since.

From seeing the puddles of water and Snowflake's fur, Garet had come up with a theory that Alex was behind Isaac's disappearance. Of course, he hadn't wanted to worry Dora, so when he left to get his friends, Garet told her that he was simply checking to see if Isaac was at any of their houses.

As he had suspected, Isaac was nowhere to be found, so Garet asked the others to meet with him, Dora, and Mia to discuss things. Soon, the seven Adepts and Dora were seated in the kitchen of Isaac's house.

"So, Isaac's missing," Felix said. "And you think you know where he is, Garet?"

"Sort of," Garet said. "I'd bet that he's with Alex. We found cat hairs and some puddles of water in Isaac's room, and Mia felt that the cat hairs were Snowflakes. Since we gave, er, Alex _kidnapped _Snowflake, I think we can assume that Alex and Snowflake are behind this."

"Poor Isaac," Sheba said. "I'm gonna miss him."

"What do you mean, Sheba?" Dora asked. "You all are going to rescue him, right?" Dora looked so sad that Sheba squirmed guiltily in her seat.

"Well, yeah, we would, but he's with_ Snowflake_, Ma'am."

"What do you mean, Sheba?" Mia asked. "I was hoping we could rescue Snowflake as well as Isaac."

The other six Adepts looked quite uncomfortable. No one said anything until Piers, taking his life in his hands, spoke up."I don't think we can do that, Mia," Piers said. "Snowflake... Well, you see, Snowflake is evil."

"What?"

"It's true," Piers said. "She threatened our very lives. In the end, we had to dispose of Snowflake by giving her to Alex."

"What!" Mia shrieked. "You gave away my kitten to that traitor!"

"Mia, Snowflake was a terror." Jenna jumped into the conversation. "Besides, I bet Alex is taking care of her. She used to be your kitten, after all, and you know how Alex is obsessed with you."

"You were all involved in this?" Mia asked. They nodded. Mia glared at them each in turn. "I can't believe this. Not only did you conspire to get rid of my kitten, but you lied to me. You all went behind my back without even talking to me."

"You wouldn't have listened," Jenna said. "You didn't say anything when Snowflake attacked Piers."

"That cat nearly emasculated me, and all you did was fuss over whether _it_ was okay!" Ivan said.

"You're all overreacting, and I want nothing more to do with this," Mia said, eyes blazing. "I'm going for a walk; the rest of you can do what you wish." She stood and left the house, slamming the door behind her.

"That could have gone better," Piers remarked.

"Uh... We'll deal with that one later," Jenna said. "What's important is that we rescue Isaac."

"We don't know where he is, though," Felix said. "Ivan, Sheba, could either of you locate him with your minds?"

"I'll try," Sheba said, and Ivan nodded. They both closed their eyes, appearing deep in concentration. After several minutes, both Jupiter Adepts opened their eyes again. "I saw him," Sheba said. "Isaac, Alex and," she shuddered, "Snowflake are somewhere underground."

"There's lots of stone walls and torches," added Ivan. "The whole place is a wreck, though, like it's collapsed."

"It's Mt. Aleph," Felix said, snapping his fingers. "Has to be."

"Yeah, that's the last place anyone saw Alex before it collapsed," Garet said. "He must have made it his base."

"Well, that's settled, then," Jenna said, then turned to Dora. "Don't worry, Ma'am. We'll rescue Isaac in no time."

"Thank you, Jenna," Dora said. "I know you kids can do this."

"Let's go," Garet said. "Everyone, get your weapons. Let's meet at the path leading to Mt. Aleph in fifteen minutes."

"What about Mia?" Piers asked. "Shall we inform her about our plans?"

"You can try," Sheba said with a shrug. "She seemed pretty angry but, hey, who knows?"

"I shall do that," Piers said, then left.

"Okay, guys, fifteen minutes," Garet said again, and then they all dispersed.

Fifteen minutes later, five of the Adepts were waiting at the foot of the path to Mt. Aleph.

"What's keeping Piers?" Garet grumbled, tapping his foot impatiently.

"I think that's him now," Felix said. Sure enough, Piers came into view, limping up the path towards them.

"Uh, Piers, what's with the limp?" Jenna asked.

The Mercury Adept shook his head. "Hell hath no fury like a Mia scorned. I went looking for her and found her sitting in a tree. I had barely opened my mouth to speak before she was raining Ice Missiles down on me." He bent down and cast Ply on his leg. "I do not think she will be accompanying us."

"I guess we'll just have to go without her," Ivan said. "We can't waste any more time. Who knows what Alex is doing to Isaac even as we speak?"

The Adepts paused in thought to consider the possibilities. "Kinky," Sheba muttered to herself.

Jenna gave her friend a strange look. "Uh, what are you thinking?"

"Nothing," said Sheba. "Nothing at all. Let's go rescue Isaac!"

"Yeah!" they all shouted, then charged up the path to Mt. Aleph.

"You won't get away with this, Alex," Isaac proclaimed defiantly. He was bound to the wall by ropes of un-melting ice which were sustained by Alex's Psynergy.

"You've told me that at least twenty times in the past half hour," Alex snapped. "I liked it better when all you could say was 'Yes' and 'No'." He adjusted the tiny blue cape that Snowflake was wearing. Snowflake made a disapproving noise. "Yes, I know you don't like it," Alex told the kitten, "But we have to look good when we defeat our arch-nemesis and gain ultimate power." Alex tugged at his own costume. "In retrospect, I suppose that spandex wasn't such a good idea."

"Look, my friends are going to come and kick your butt any minute," Isaac said. "Why don't you let me go and save yourself a beating?"

"Shut up," Alex said. "I've worked too hard to stop now."

_"Why's everything going into italics?" Isaac asked._

_"It's a flashback," Alex said. "Now be quiet." He switched over to first-person._

_I remember it like it was yesterday. I was cold and alone, trapped in the mountain. I had failed in my quest to obtain the ultimate power of the Golden Sun. The only thought that kept me alive was the thought that I could still obtain this power._

_Slowly, I worked my way out of the ruins of Mt. Aleph. My going was made easier when I stumbled onto the network of corridors that ran throughout the mountain. Although the collapse destroyed many parts, some still existed, and I used them as my base of operations. I had gained some of the Golden Sun's power, so I used that to improve my base until it became what you see before you now._

_"This is getting boring," Isaac interjected. "Get to the point."_

_Fine. Let's move along to when I got Snowflake. At first we didn't get along, but we learned to trust each other after a time. I taught her many things, like how to catch a stick, how to play dead, and where a human's vulnerable points are. She, in turn, taught me, too. I learned how to love._

_"Well, bully for you," Isaac said sarcastically._

"Will you shut up?" Alex growled, reverting to third-person in his anger. "I'm almost done." He sighed. "You know, most prisoners have the sense to keep quiet while the villain is monologuing."

"Well, I'm not most prisoners," Isaac said.

"No, you're not," Alex agreed, then socked him in the nose. "Now shut up."

"Ow!" Isaac howled. "Cure!" He paused, waiting for the Psynergy to take effect. "Hey, nothing's happening," he said after a moment.

Alex smirked. "I blocked your Psynergy. Duh." At his heels, Snowflake meowed impatiently. "Oh, that's right. We do need to get on with extracting the last quarter of the Golden Sun from Isaac."

"Is this going to hurt?" Isaac asked.

"I dunno," Alex said. "Don't worry, though. If it doesn't hurt, I can always have Snowflake maul you later."

Isaac whimpered and began straining at the ice that held him. Snowflake sauntered close and looked up at him, her gaze taunting him. Isaac narrowed his eyes and kicked Snowflake.

"Mrow!" the cat screeched as it went flying.

"Snowflake!" Alex cried. He dove after the cat and managed to catch her before she hit the wall. Alex turned and glared at Isaac, and in his arms Snowflake did the same. Alex carefully set the kitten down and healed her.

"You'll pay for this, Isaac," Alex said. "No more delays." Alex stepped close to Isaac, although out of kicking range, raised his arms, and said, "Psy Drain!"

"Argh!" Isaac cried as Alex's attack hit him. Isaac felt his Psynergy being drained away at a prodigious rate, which left him feeling weak and dizzy.

"Hah, yes!" Alex said in triumph. "I can feel the power."

"Well, you won't be feeling it for long!"

"Huh?" Alex asked, stopping his attack and turning to face the speaker.

"We're here to rescue Isaac," Garet said. He and the others were standing in the doorway of Alex's lair.

"How did you find me?" Alex asked.

Ivan stepped forward. "A little thing I like to call Jupiter powers." He smirked.

"Make this easy on yourself and let Isaac go, Alex," Jenna said.

"Never!" Alex proclaimed. He struck a pose. "I am so close to having ultimate power! I will not give up!"

"Then you leave us no choice but to stop you with force," said Piers.

"I'd like to see you try," Alex laughed.

"Liquefier!" Garet yelled, sending a beams of fire towards Alex. The others chimed in, using their most powerful attacks.

"Diamond Berg!" Alex was hit with a chunk of ice, then by Piers's sword.

"Odyssey!" Psynergetic swords struck him.

"Destruct Ray!" Two simultaneous lightning storms struck the Mercury Adept. Alex fell to his knees.

"Dragon Fume!" A plume of fire in the shape of a dragon howled through the air, striking Alex head-on. It bowled him over, and he lay still.

"Oh yeah, we're good," Garet said.

"We did save Weyard," Sheba said. "It would figure that no one can beat us."

"Come on, let's get Isaac," Jenna said. "He doesn't look so good." Isaac was hanging limply in his icy bonds.

Jenna stepped forward to go to Isaac but was sent back by a blast of water. She and the others were knocked down.

"What was that?" Ivan spluttered.

"I guess we didn't defeat Alex after all," Felix said, scrambling to his feet and wringing out his ponytail.

"I have almost all of the Golden Sun's power," Alex said. "Do you really think you can defeat me?"

"We'll certainly try," Piers said.

"Heh, well you won't even get the chance," Alex said. "I have to finish taking the power of Mars from Isaac." Alex whistled and Snowflake trotted over. She'd shed her little cape. "Snowflake, be a good girl and stop these intruders, please."

Snowflake mrowed in assent and stood facing the Adepts. Her back was arched and she hissed at them. They all swallowed hard. Alex laughed. "Well, I'll just get back to draining the life from your friend. Try and stop me... If you can get past Snowflake, that is." He laughed and turned to Isaac, casting Psy Drain again.


	6. The Final Showdown

**Disclaimer:** Golden Sun belongs to Nintendo and Camelot. I do not claim ownership of their property.

* * *

Mia sat in the tree, brooding. How could her friends do this to her? They got rid of her cat, and what's more, they went behind her back to do so. A single tear rolled down her cheek. More tears followed. "Didn't they trust me?" she sobbed to herself. "Not even Isaac tried to tell me the truth about Snowflake. First Alex, now this," she continued after a few hiccuping sobs. "Why does everyone betray me?" Sitting there in the middle of feeling sorry for herself, Mia was suddenly struck with a thought. "Oh, Mercury," she said, wiping her eyes. "Am I doing the same thing? I'm letting my friends down when they need me." 

Mia found a handkerchief and blew her nose, then climbed down the tree. "My friends need me," she proclaimed to the world at large, "and I will not let them down any longer. It is not the way of the Mercury Clan." She struck a proud pose. The effect was somewhat spoiled when her nose began to run and she had to frantically fumble for her handkerchief. After thanking Mercury that no one was around to witness that undignified display, Mia went to Isaac's house to pick up her mace. Then she headed for Mt. Aleph and Alex's lair.

* * *

"Damn cat," Garet muttered, lying on the floor and covered in gashes and cuts. "Who the hell fits iron spikes onto their kitten's claws?" 

"Judging from what we just experienced, Alex does," Piers said with a moan.

"I can't believe that we were all taken down by one cat," Sheba said. "Ow..."

Alex, who had stopped what he was doing to watch Snowflake take down the Adepts, laughed. "I must say, that was the best entertainment I've had since before I tried to claim the Golden Sun." He reached into his pocket. "Snowflake want a tuna treat? C'mere, girl." He bent down and fed the kitten the tidbit. "Good kitten."

While Alex was busy pampering his pet, Jenna whispered to the others, "We have to do something. Isaac's gonna die soon at the rate Alex has been sucking energy from him."

"What would you suggest?" Felix answered, an edge creeping into his voice. "Look at you. If you move any more, you're going to pass out from blood loss."

"We have to try something," she protested.

"Can you heal us with Aura, Jenna?" Ivan asked weakly.

"I have no Psynergy left," Jenna said. "I used it all up casting Dragon Fumes."

"It looks like we're done for," Sheba said miserably.

"Alex!" called a voice. Everyone looked to the door. Standing there was Mia. "Get away from my friends!"

"Mia!" Alex exclaimed. "It's so good to see you!"

"You have five seconds to let them all go," Mia said.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Alex asked, seeming genuinely confused.

"What? No! You took my cat, you took one of my friends, and you beat up the rest of them." Mia was confused as well. "Why on Weyard would I be happy to see you?"

"You seemed so happy last time we met," Alex said.

"When, at Mercury Lighthouse? I was furious with you then!"

"No, six months ago, when you gave me Snowflake. Don't you remember?"

"No, I don't remember," Mia said. She glared at each of her floored friends in turn. Turning back to Alex, she said, "Look, that's not important. What is important is that you stop harassing me and my friends."

"I'm sorry, Mia," Alex said with a shake of his head. "You ask of me the one thing I can't do."

"Is there no way I can change your mind, Alex?" Mia asked, stepping close to him. He seemed to be considering her question, but he finally shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Mia, but it is my destiny to claim this power."

"I'm sorry, too, Alex," Mia said. She swung her mace up and smashed Alex right in the side of the head with it. "Sorry that you had to become such a traitorous jerk!" She let the mace fall to the floor and turned to her friends. "And as for you all..."

"Mia, look out!" yelled Felix.

"What?" Mia said, then she shrieked as Snowflake jumped at her, iron tipped claws gleaming in the torchlight. Mia stepped aside just in time. Snowflake flew past her and crashed into the wall, then fell off. Mia hurried over and picked up the kitten.

"Mrow?" Snowflake purred pitifully, enlarging her eyes to increase her cuteness factor by 150 percent.

Mia stared at the kitten for a moment, then deep froze her. "I'm sorry, Snowflake, but it's for the best." She left the iced cat on the floor and went back to her friends. "Wish Well!" she said, healing them all.

"Thanks, Mia," Jenna said, getting up. "We've gotta make sure that Isaac's okay now."

Now that Alex was unconscious or worse, the ice ropes holding Isaac had dissipated into puddles and Isaac was lying on the ground, looking quite pale.

Mia flipped him over onto his back. "Hm..." she said. "I must confess, I'm not quite sure how to treat him. My training as a healer covered mostly physical injuries. How did Alex do this to him?"

"He used Psy Drain, I believe," Piers said.

"I know that technique," Felix said. "Perhaps I could use it to somehow siphon the power that Alex took back into Isaac."

"All we can do is try," Mia said. "Otherwise, we'll have to take him to Vale's sanctum."

"Sheba, may I borrow a Jupiter Djinni?" Felix asked. Sheba lent him one, and Felix drew on the Djinni's power. He dragged Alex's body near him and sat on the ground with one hand on Isaac and one on Alex. For several minutes, he sat in silence as his body glowed with Psynergy. Finally he stopped.

"Ugh," Felix said, putting a hand to his forehead. "I'm glad that's done. It was quite strenuous." He returned the Djinni to Sheba.

"Hey, Isaac, you okay?" Garet asked, bending over his friend. He poked Isaac a couple of times.

"Hey, stop poking me," Isaac said weakly. He sat up slowly and looked around. "What happened here?" Alex's lair looked like a battle had happened in it. A battle had happened in it, so that was an accurate description. Nevertheless, Isaac had no idea, as he had been unconscious by that point.

"You're okay!" Jenna squealed. She grabbed him up in a hug. "We were all worried about you!"

"I'm fine, I think," Isaac said. "What happened, though?"

"I think we all want to know that," Ivan said. "No one really knows the whole story."

"It would probably be best if we left," Piers said. "Dora is quite worried about you, Isaac."

"Yeah, I bet," he said. "All right, let's go." He got slowly to his feet, and Garet offered to let his friend lean on him.

"What about Alex and Snowflake?" Sheba asked.

"Everyone, get out," Felix said. "I'll collapse the chamber." They all left, and Felix did as he said.

"Well," Isaac said, once they emerged from Mt. Aleph. "I guess all's well that ends well."

"Yeah," Ivan said. "We're all safe, and Alex and Snowflake are gone for good."

"After all," Jenna said, "it's not like they could survive having a bunch of rocks fall on them, right?"

Everyone laughed, and they headed back to Vale.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Review if you feel so inclined. That would make me happy. This is the tentative end for this tale, but you never know. Until next time, everyone! 


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